Farmers Call for Support for French Pork Production

FRANCE - Pressure from northern pig producing countries in Europe – in particular Germany and the Netherlands – have led to French pork prices falling to their lowest level of the year.

Now the farmers have called on processors to emphasise France as the country of origin on packs.

In three months, pork production prices fell by nearly a quarter according to the French meat industry organisation SNIV SNCP.

The total fall for the whole of 2014 has been about 10 per cent.

SNIV SNCP said that the continuing Russian ban on pig meat exports together with the inability to find alternative markets alongside the competition being presented byPig meat production in Spain, Germany and the Netherlands are of concern not only to pig producers in France but to the entire meat chain.

Over recent weeks, French pig farmers have been protesting in several regions calling on processors to do more, in what they describe as “a time of crisis”, to support the French pork supply.

They have urged the processors to display the French country of origin on the processed products to give the consumers a choice.

SNIV SNCP said that while prices have stabilised at a low level there should be promotions at these low prices to help spark an improvement in the market.